extra weight, the poor man wasn’t doing well in the sweltering heat and the unrelenting pace at which Comron drove them. No wonder he’d passed out so quickly. Perhaps she would have too if it weren’t for the exhilaration coursing through her. Again she found her gaze drifting toward Comron about a meter away. His long legs stretched out before him…
You have no right to entertain such thoughts, he is promised to another woman!
“Is something wrong?” Comron asked in a tone that suggested he was bored. He reclined against the trunk of a tree, and folded his arms behind his head.
“Pardon me?” Vaush said surprised he was speaking, but then she heard Wensel’s gentle snores.
“You look…perturbed,” Comron said.
Her faced burned shamefully at being caught in the midst of her carnal thoughts. She parried nonetheless, trying to right herself. “I was contemplating whether or not we would be rescued before the Murkudahl Treaty Hearings begin.”
His expression fell abruptly.
“They start in five days, you see.”
“I’m well aware of that,” he replied curtly, though keeping his voice low so as not to disturb Wensel.
“I may attend the hearings with my father,” she said, fabricating further.
Comron chuckled softly at that notion. “Only two delegates are permitted per territory. I seriously doubt your father would choose you over your brother, Skarus, or any of his senior advisors.”
A wave of humiliation and jealousy washed over her as she tried to figure out whether the barb was a compliment to Skarus or an insult to her. She knew that Nethicaen society held women in fairly low regard, celebrating them as glorified breeding vessels and providers of pleasure, but not much else.
So deep in thought, she almost started when Comron said, “You bruise far too easily.”
Vaush could already hear his next words, which shouldn’t surprise me, being that you’re an inferior female. Though he didn’t actually speak the words, she could see it in his smug countenance.
“If Larrs chooses Skarus over me, it will be because my father and I do not share the same opinion on the matter.”
Comron’s green eyes lit up beautifully. “Then you are in favor of overturning the Emperor's Edict?”
“No, I support the edict, but for altogether different reasons than my father.”
“Oh,” Comron said, disinterested.
“Father cares nothing for the welfare of Murkudahl. Guarding his share of the power generation industry is all that concerns him.”
The spark returned to his eyes. “And who knows what sort of innovations will be discovered once we open trade negotiations with them?”
She shook her head and smiled condescendingly. “The Murkudahl have no interest in engaging in trade with our system. They want nothing to do with us and have plainly stated as much.”
“They don’t know what we have to offer.”
“It doesn’t matter. Thirty years ago, after they nursed the crewmembers of the damaged ship back to health, they made it perfectly clear that they wished to be left alone. The Emperor’s Edict assures that the Murkudahl wishes will be honored.”
He cocked a brow. “The Emperor is dying as we speak. Once his son is enthroned, his first order of business will be to overturn the Murkudahl Edict.”
Her cheeks burned. “And you see nothing wrong or immoral about that?”
He favored her with a faint grin, his green eyes so entrancing she nearly lost her train of thought.
“Oh, aren’t you the brave one, storming off to exploit a pacifist society,” she chided. “You’d think twice if the Murkudahl ever had a mind to defend themselves with their vastly superior technology.”
“At least then they would earn my respect.”
“You think them cowards.”
“What would you call someone who stands by idly while others take what belongs to him? A man defends and protects what is his. If he won’t, he doesn’t deserve to hold on to it.”
“Perhaps what they truly treasure
You have no right to entertain such thoughts, he is promised to another woman!
“Is something wrong?” Comron asked in a tone that suggested he was bored. He reclined against the trunk of a tree, and folded his arms behind his head.
“Pardon me?” Vaush said surprised he was speaking, but then she heard Wensel’s gentle snores.
“You look…perturbed,” Comron said.
Her faced burned shamefully at being caught in the midst of her carnal thoughts. She parried nonetheless, trying to right herself. “I was contemplating whether or not we would be rescued before the Murkudahl Treaty Hearings begin.”
His expression fell abruptly.
“They start in five days, you see.”
“I’m well aware of that,” he replied curtly, though keeping his voice low so as not to disturb Wensel.
“I may attend the hearings with my father,” she said, fabricating further.
Comron chuckled softly at that notion. “Only two delegates are permitted per territory. I seriously doubt your father would choose you over your brother, Skarus, or any of his senior advisors.”
A wave of humiliation and jealousy washed over her as she tried to figure out whether the barb was a compliment to Skarus or an insult to her. She knew that Nethicaen society held women in fairly low regard, celebrating them as glorified breeding vessels and providers of pleasure, but not much else.
So deep in thought, she almost started when Comron said, “You bruise far too easily.”
Vaush could already hear his next words, which shouldn’t surprise me, being that you’re an inferior female. Though he didn’t actually speak the words, she could see it in his smug countenance.
“If Larrs chooses Skarus over me, it will be because my father and I do not share the same opinion on the matter.”
Comron’s green eyes lit up beautifully. “Then you are in favor of overturning the Emperor's Edict?”
“No, I support the edict, but for altogether different reasons than my father.”
“Oh,” Comron said, disinterested.
“Father cares nothing for the welfare of Murkudahl. Guarding his share of the power generation industry is all that concerns him.”
The spark returned to his eyes. “And who knows what sort of innovations will be discovered once we open trade negotiations with them?”
She shook her head and smiled condescendingly. “The Murkudahl have no interest in engaging in trade with our system. They want nothing to do with us and have plainly stated as much.”
“They don’t know what we have to offer.”
“It doesn’t matter. Thirty years ago, after they nursed the crewmembers of the damaged ship back to health, they made it perfectly clear that they wished to be left alone. The Emperor’s Edict assures that the Murkudahl wishes will be honored.”
He cocked a brow. “The Emperor is dying as we speak. Once his son is enthroned, his first order of business will be to overturn the Murkudahl Edict.”
Her cheeks burned. “And you see nothing wrong or immoral about that?”
He favored her with a faint grin, his green eyes so entrancing she nearly lost her train of thought.
“Oh, aren’t you the brave one, storming off to exploit a pacifist society,” she chided. “You’d think twice if the Murkudahl ever had a mind to defend themselves with their vastly superior technology.”
“At least then they would earn my respect.”
“You think them cowards.”
“What would you call someone who stands by idly while others take what belongs to him? A man defends and protects what is his. If he won’t, he doesn’t deserve to hold on to it.”
“Perhaps what they truly treasure
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